Just pulled out of Gabbro. We could not find the exit. I had a purchased map and I also printed and laminated the Gabbro map from this site. Both show the trail on the wrong side of the bay. We followed a guy who was pulling out in order to find it.

Did they move the entry point and just not change it on maps?

I have not used this EP, but I assume you mean EP33 Little Gabbro. The map here - BWCA.com - seems to show a normal summer entry on east side and perhaps an old or winter entry on west side. Another popular mapping website shows it on the east side only.

See what others say, but I do see some room for confusion.

I use that entry a lot for day trips. Always thought it was odd that such a popular one would be wrong on most maps (including the BWCA.com map, though it has "point of interest" markers on either end). I believe some years ago, the portage was on the east side of the bay, but it got moved to where it is now. Perhaps someone who knows the history will chime in.

Had the same issue a few years back. The EP is on the west side of the bay. Not sure why it has not been updated on the maps. I let the guys at that new fabric map company know and they fixed it on their map.

I took my first trip to Bald Eagle and Gabbro back in 1997. Our group entered on the Isabella River and exited at Little Gabbro.

The maps were wrong back in 1997 and showed the portage on the East side. I remember hunting unsuccessfully for that portage for quite a while when we saw some people show up at the portage on the West side of the bay.

I too remember thinking "how can this be marked wrong on the map" since it is an entry portage on a popular lake.

Dave

Also, the length varies from 105 to 240 depending on what map you have.

maxxbhp: "Also, the length varies from 105 to 240 depending on what map you have. "

Always a fun surprise when something is off by that much

x2jmorris: "

maxxbhp: "Also, the length varies from 105 to 240 depending on what map you have. "

Always a fun surprise when something is off by that much"

I’ve burned many hours searching for portages in the wrong spots...I’d like to think most of the time it was the maps fault, but I’d say around 1/2 of them were mistakes on my end. After a while, it gets less annoying and more like an adventure. I typically have a good laugh when I finally find it...sometimes it was right under my nose and I laugh because I didn’t see it right in front of me. Other times I laugh because it’s on the other side of the bay! Then I laugh and say “wtf!” Maps don’t get updated that much and the bays, rivers, creeks and what not are constantly changing. Surprised to see one incorrectly marked right at an EP though.

Tony

Dbor,

I looked at the map on this site and yes, it is way off! I was told that it was there at some point many decades ago.

I have been into Gabbro many times and it is still hard to find the portage when I return. Often times a portage is easily seen from a distance but there is something about the layout of that portage landing that makes it invisible unless you are right on it.

For what it's worth, I just checked my maps, and it is on the west side of the bay on the Fisher Map F-3 (2016 revision date) and my new True North BWCA 08 Map.

It is listed as 200 rods on the Fisher and 173 on the True North.

The old portage began at N47 50.545 W91 37.919 and ended at N47 51.191 W91 37.721.
Somewhere between the trips we took out of there in 2001 and 2005, it was changed.
The new portage now begins at N47 50.893 W91 38.146 and ends at N47 51.331 W91 37.780.